| Summary/Abstract |
Russian-Chinese relations in the 20 years since the signing of the Grand Treaty of June 2001 have become a key factor of global development. Despite vigorous opposition from the West, their importance in world politics has steadily risen. They have encountered major challenges at all levels of cooperation (bilateral, regional, and global), but both countries have invariably responded to them effectively. Russia's role has grown steadily in proportion to the escalation of the China-US rivalry. Russia and China have shown that they complement each other not only on the level of bilateral economic relations, but also on a global scale, allowing them to address shared problems of creating a new international order and resisting pressure from the West. Extension of the Treaty has both confirmed the strategic nature of their relations and opened new areas of collaboration - ideological and otherwise. Amid growing tensions and the creation of new blocs in the Indo-Pacific region aimed at containing China, Russian-Chinese partnership is growing stronger without becoming a formal alliance. This type of harmonious and coordinated collaboration between major powers can be described as an axis.
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